13 months old, week 1

The toddler Juli stamped with her leg or legs alternatively. Toddler tantrums emerged more often but came and went quickly.

Telling what she thinks

Juli was able to express what she wanted or needed. She even reported something. For example, her father left the house, what I thought, for some fresh air.

Juli, sitting in highchair in front of me, pointed to the kitchen window behind me and produced drive-car with a razzy.

I responded that the father was just out for some fresh air. Soon I realized, sure enough, he did drive out of the garage.

Pointing from a point to another point

Hanging out in the studio basement had been her favorite routine. Another day Juli wanted to ride on the tool seat in the basement. She pointed to the doorway leading to the basement and produced a whinny razzy. I lifted her down the stairs.

Juli then pointed to the tool seat with a whinny razzy. It was what she wanted specifically in mind. I put her on the rolling seat and rode along with her. She smiled, one of her favorites.

A thank-you kiss

One evening after my work, I texted Grandma Z to let her know I was on my way home. Grandma Z told Juli mother drive-car home soon. Juli leaned toward Grandma Z and kissed on her cheek with closed lips (you see, normally she kissed me with open lips, wet but sweet).

The special moment of the kiss melted Z's heart. Z felt as if Juli thanked her or showed her appreciation for communication. Imagine a life with a lack of information and without access to telecommunication. Z was able to faciliate information between me and Juli who felt at ease to know what was going on.

Inviting herself in

Another day Juli pointed to the closed door of the bedroom where her father was sleeping. She clearly produced father (1-handshape). She pulled down the door handle and opened it. She went in.

Sensing a soft texture

At a playgroup, Juli curiously touched an toddler's hair. I uttered soft. She leaned her head on the toddler's hair to feel it. She did twice with other two toddlers and responded the same.

Next day at a mealtime reading, she came across an image of the cat with soft faux-fur in the book. I signed soft. She felt it with her head.

It seems strange, but it's probably not. I think she learned from Grandma Z in reference to a pillow or any soft material that her head rested on it and Grandma Z produced soft.

Bird flapping

Juli and I looked out the French door together. Suddenly she turned to me and produced flapping along with other manual movements before and after. I looked puzzled for a moment before I realized she was probably telling a story about what she saw magpies the day before.

Grandma Z talked about how she and Juli watched out the window and observed magpies. She showed me the production that Juli made. That was how I knew the context.

And, some more in the video below.

One last thing I found this interesting was that often when she referred to that specific dog in the picture book, she pulled up her shirt and pointed to the bellybutton.

I don't know where it came from that Juli made a connection with. The only thing I guessed was that she asked if that dog has a bellybutton. I replied that it didn't.

ASL words

The following emerging words that Juli has used with references: cat (different production), flower (not new but re-emerged), father (1-handshape), bird flapping (location error on cheek), gorilla, eat (20-handshape)...

Juli continued to produce such as strawberry, cold, snow, father (now regularly), drive-car, work, milk (cow milk)...

The following ASL words were introduced to Juli (receptive): key, fix/repair...

Exploring forms and numbers

"Five Little Ladybugs" by Melanie Gerth provides some stimulating activity that involves with playing with fingers, counting fingers through the holes, and exploring sensory shapes. One by one ladybug disappears or appears as each page is turned.

Juli happened to have a bib with a large ladybug on it. I pointed it out to her. A reading or two later, she pointed to the ladybug on her bib and to the book.

Juli still takes my hand and directs me to what she wants.

Nurturing art expression

Art is another form of language that is what I view. Another idea inspires me for another project: art acquisition. I googled it only to find that the term "acquisition" in "art acquisition" has an entirely different meaning from that in "language acquisition."

Not only Juli is learning the typical "3 Rs": reading, writing, and mathematics, but also signlan (other than speech) and art are also important parts of the cognitive development.

There are some messages that are best articulated through an image than words. I want Juli to develop a skill in drawing as much as writing, reading, and articulating (ASL or another language).

Juli produced some marks on a paper from time to time in my studio before she was one year old. As she turned one, she gradually scribbled, mostly random straight lines.